


Science and Myths

by Nyradox



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-01-11 08:40:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1171003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyradox/pseuds/Nyradox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lalna wakes up one day to find his whole world has been turned upside down. Could nightmares be real?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Monsters are children's stories

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys like this. I have a whole giant story forming in my mind. I would love to write more of this. It will start out SFW but future chapters may not be.

This couldn't be happening. It's impossible. This couldn't be happening. It had started so simply, irritation when he went outside, not being as hungry as often as he probably should be, staying up later and later, not needing sleep. To be honest, he experienced many of those symptoms when he was hard at work experimenting on his newest project. The sun irritation he could write off as a consequence of staying inside more often than not. But now, as Lalna stared in the mirror, he could see the two fangs that had appeared over night. He froze when he had first looked in the mirror earlier. Lalna thought it was a prank, that the crazy bearded architect had probably snuck in during the night after drinking too much at the local pub and thought it would be funny to glue fangs onto Lalna's incisors. After close inspection, resulting in him trying to pull them out with pliers, Lalna was staring at myth, a legend that could not be true. Monsters were just creatures created by adults to scare children and keep them from leaving their beds. They were not real. Yet, Lalna was now staring at the possibility of something more and he was scared to make a move.  
"How could this have happened," he muttered to himself, pulling his goggles off of his head and rubbing his hands through his hair. He searched everywhere for any sign of a bite mark. Wasn't that how they usually transformed someone into . . . He didn't want to think about it. They weren't real. They couldn't be. He had spent two hours pacing around his apartment going through everything he knew. Nothing was adding up. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. What was happening to him to think that "that" could be a possibility? When had he traded science for mythical creatures? But yet, every possibility, every thing that he could consider as fact was steering him down this lane. Lalna sighed heavily, flinging himself down on the edge of the tub. He thought back over the past couple of weeks trying to figure out anything that was different.  
All the days blurred together in his mind. They were always the same. He would get up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee and a microwaveable meat pie, and head off to work. Lalna was always the first one into the building and the last one to leave. His workdays were always long, but he never minded that. Each day was a new experiment, depending on what he wanted to study. For the past couple of months, he had been focusing on finding a new source of energy to power the city. He had five different power sources that he was watching every day, testing how efficient their outputs were and making sure that they needed no repairs. Lalna usually went out to a pub for lunch, known as the Captive Caber, a weird name for a pub ran by two even weirder partners. One was a Scotsman that always seemed to wear a kilt even if it were snowing outside. The other was a young woman who was usually soft spoken but easily commanded everyone with only a look. Lalna made sure to never get on the woman's bad side when she was working but the Scotsman always offered him a free beer from his secret stash. He was happy for the drink. They both welcomed him whenever he stopped in. When he didn't, they usually would stop by the labs, dropping off his favorite dish. After he was done working, he would come home, slump onto the couch with a meal he picked up from a store, and then head to bed to start the day over again. The only thing that had been different was, that over the past week, Lalna had ordered his steak just a bit rarer than usual. Besides that, nothing had been different.  
These experiments were actually pretty mild for him. Usually, he was off trying to make teleporters, deadly lasers, or space ships. After his last experiment, that had caused his apprentice to be infected with an unknown virus and sent to quarantine in a different region, the head of the company thought it would be best to curve Lalna's genius and had suggested that he study something as boring, or in his terms, as interesting as energy. At first, Lalna was stumped. How could he study something so simple as energy? After some time, he had found a way to make it "interesting." Not only did he have a small nuclear reactor, he also had a reactor that contained the energy from these weird black holes that appeared when someone burned obsidian and converted it into a very powerful energy source. The only problem was that the reactor was a pain to maintain and sometimes weird creatures would try to find their way through. Besides those two problems, it could be a great source for renewable energy.  
Lalna chuckled to himself. Even as he felt like the world was crashing around him, he was still thinking about work. It was the one thing that had actually been normal through out all the changes. He was happy that he still had something that he could control. Lalna heard his phone buzz on the counter. He rubbed his eyes, watching it as it continued to buzz. He sighed, picking up the phone. Lalna thought for a moment if he should answer it. When he saw that it was one of his coworkers, he thought it would be best. Lalna unlocked the phone, bringing it up to his ear.  
"Hello," he asked, waiting for the man to greet him.  
"Well, it doesn't sound like you are dying," the man said, worry immediately shifting to something that sounded like annoyance. Lalna couldn't help but laugh.  
"Well, a good morning to you too, Xephos. You are up early. . .," Lalna commented, scratching his chin. He glanced up into the mirror, looking at the stumble that was appearing on his chin. Maybe he should shave before he goes into work. . . He shook his head, wondering how his mind had shifted back to something as simple as him needing a shave.  
"Do . . . Do you know what time it is," Xephos stammered over the phone. Lalna stopped, confused.  
"Yeah, it's about 5 am," Lalna said, most matter of factly as he opened up the medicine cabinet to pull out his razor. Xephos chuckled softly. "What?"  
"It's 9 am, friend." Horror flashed across Lalna's face as the razor fell from his hand. He pulled his phone away from his ear, looking up at the clock. The white numbers proved that the man on the other end was telling the truth.  
"Shit," Lalna exclaimed as he rushed out of his bathroom and ran over to his closet. He quickly pulled on a pair of blue jeans, shoving each leg into the pants, almost tripping himself.  
"You ok? You aren't sick, are you?" Xephos voice once again had that tone of worry. Lalna shoved himself into his blue grey shirt, bursting forth from his bedroom into his kitchen. He quickly pulled on some socks, pushing his feet into his black rubber boots.  
"Nah, mate. It's just . . . I . . . I lost track of time." He shook his head. Sure, he got lost in himself at times but never for four hours. He hoped that the man would accept that as a reason and drop whatever questions were forming in his mind.  
"Lalna," the man's stern voice came over the phone clear as day. "I know you. You have never lost track of time like this. Are you sure everything is ok?" Lalna tried not to sigh into the phone. Xephos always cared for his friends, sometimes more than Lalna wished. Right now, however, Lalna wanted to, no, he needed to tell someone, anyone to help him ground himself in facts.  
"I. . . Uh . . ." The words caught in his throat. He wanted so badly to talk to someone about his changes. Would Xephos listen or would he assume that Lalna had once again woken up still drunk? He brought the phone down from his ear, slumping over slightly. He needed more details before he could actually assume that he had become a . . . thing. "Nah, mate," Lalna said, bringing the phone back up to his ear. He put on a fake smile, hoping the fake emotion would come across in his tone. "I kinda got into Rav's secret stash again. Sorry. I keep forgetting how strong that stuff is." He hated having to lie to Xephos, but Lalna knew this was for the best. Lalna waited, hoping the man would believe him. Xephos began to chuckle over the phone.  
"You really need to stop spending so much time at that pub," Xephos chuckled to himself. "Well, hurry down here. You're late."  
"On my way out know," Lalna said, standing up from the chair. He looked around his barely furnished apartment, finding his lab coat balled up on the couch where he had tossed it last night.  
"Ok, I'll see ya in a bit, friend." Lalna picked up the lab coat, shaking it out slightly to get rid of any wrinkles that had appeared over night.  
"See ya soon, mate," Lalna answered back, putting the lab coat on. He began to hung up the phone when Xephos's voice once again came through the speaker.  
"Wait," the man said quickly, causing Lalna to bring the phone back up to his ear. "I just wanted to let you know I got a surprise for you when you get in."  
"Ahhhhhhhhhh, how nice," Lalna cooed, joking with the man on the other side. He strolled back to his kitchen table, picking up his goggles and clearance badge. When he came to Yog Inc, he found that the goggles that they had supplied him were unsatisfactory for his needs. Lalna had spent the first week, trying to create something that he could actually use. Sure, they looked ridiculous as if they should be a part of someone's steampunk cosplay but they worked for him. Personally, he liked their aesthetic value. "Mate, I've already told you, I like girls." Lalna pulled the goggles onto his head, making sure they sat on his forehead. He heard Xephos mockingly laugh into the phone.  
"Haha, very funny. You better watch it, otherwise there may be an architect that thinks you are hiding in the closet." Lalna laughed. He had seen the advances of this architect first hand when the two met. A few beers into the man and Lalna had to literally pry the man off of him. Lalna didn't mind the kissing so much. He hadn't snogged in ages and he forgot how good it felt. Lalna would never tell him that, though. "Just, get in here."  
"Like I said, on my way." He pinned his badge to his lab coat, making his way over to the door. Lalna hung up the phone and shoved it into his pocket. He grabbed his keys quickly, making his way outside. Hopefully, it wasn't too sunny out today.


	2. Freshly Baked Bread and Gin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lalna finally makes it into work. Thank goodness, he didn't burst into flames.

It was easy to find the eclectic bunch known as Yog Inc. The marble and stone brick building stood towering over the smaller businesses and residential housing. It was a tall building, its final height being about 58 floors. Most of them sat empty, waiting for the new technology and businesses to come. Others were used as storage space. Yog Inc was known for having the biggest cold storage, taking up all of the 23rd floor. If the blinding white building wasn't enough of an attention grabber, then the giant neon sign would be. It was on day or night, acting like a beacon in the darkness around them. And the best part about it was that it was shaped into the face of the owner himself. The owner lived at the very top of his eccentric building, wanting to stay close to his factory. But he wasn't always like that.

Eccentric, well he had been that way since the day he was born, probably having something to do with him being a dwarf from the rich city of Khaz Modan in the northern mountains. Honeydew was much like his brethren in that fact, big and loud and above all stubborn. When a dwarf wanted something, there was very few things man, even Notch, could do to deter him from his path. It had taken Lalna and Xephos everything, plus a good keg of beer, to talk Honeydew into adding the stone brick to his stark white building. He had come to love the idea the next day, bouncing back from the drunken escapades of the night before like he had just taken a slipping pill. Dwarves were certainly hardy. They had to be when most of their lives were spent digging or enjoying a good brew. Honeydew had enjoyed that life until Xephos fell into his lap. When the spaceman had crashed landed, Honeydew learned of something that his life in his hole had been missing, adventure. 

Lalna never really heard much of what that adventure was, nor of the times before the duo had met the scientist that one fateful day after the nuclear reactor explosion, but honestly, Lalna didn't mind. They never questioned much into his past so he never did into theirs. It was a silent agreement, never being acknowledge by either of them. Even with this truce, there were hints, the nuclear burns on Lalna's arms, the scars all over Xephos's back, the weird trinket Xephos kept in his pocket, even the far fetched stories that Honeydew would tell when he was drunk of a pale face man and sand that could move like water. As much as they may have wished to forget, their pasts were as much of them as their characteristics or appearances. However, that never mattered in these lands, so far from the capital of Minecraftia and blocked off by the desert. No one really cared what you were on the other side, only what you were here.

When a dwarf, a scientist and a spaceman had appeared out of the sands wanting to create a company that made cookies, no one questioned them. Instead, they allowed the men to stay, giving them whatever land they wished. After a year of work, the city had settled around them, first coming for the jobs that Honeydew was offering them but then to help support the workers. As people realized that this city slowly became one of the only safe zones in the wilds, many more flocked to it, creating the expansive city that now formed around the giant building with that silly neon face smiling down at them. It was then that the small business that had started making cookies bloomed into a scientific giant. They started to do more than just make Honeydew's favorite cookies. It started with a grant given to Lalna in order to start making and researching different hypothesis he was quickly coming up with. Then, it came in the form of integrating several companies into Honeydew Inc, creating a wide variety of goods. Sipsco, the number one seller of dirt, was the first to join their company, followed by a bird conservationist known as Lomadia. The different companies ranged from exploration to architecture to the occult. All the small companies kept their names and rights, they all just worked in the same building. Xephos thought that, with the new collaboration with the many companies, a new name to distinguish their group needed to be created. The dwarf was right on top of it. Yog Inc, a weird name for an even weirder group of people. The name stuck, whether for good or for bad. But, even with all their arguing, no one could convince the dwarf to remove his neon face.

Lalna ducked into the front doors of the building, happy to have finally made it. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, allowing him to actually walk down the streets except ducking in and out buildings. Even so, he could still feel his cheeks irritated by the dim light. If he was one of those creatures, he was happy at least that he didn't burst in to flames whenever he touched sunlight. Sure, it gave him a massive sunburn, but doesn't everyone burn in the light? He noted that he should create some short of cream to cover his skin for protection. Maybe he could make something from magma cream and nether wart.

The noise and bustling pulled him from his thoughts to the mad house that now stretched before him. Lalna looked up at the giant clock that sat above the security station. 10:30. Wow. He had never been in the main entrance during normal business hours. Usually, he came in around 5:30 am and left about 9 pm. It meant for long days. Lalna actually liked them. He didn't really have anything else to do besides his science.

The locals were bustling back and forth across the marble floor, moving towards the different elevators that led to the many different floors with in the tall skyscraper. The security station, with it's black counter tops, sat at the back of the grand entrance, ushering people to the different floors, trying to keep the main entrance as empty as possible. Even with the locals moving so quickly from place to place, there were a sea of people between Lalna and the security station. He sighed heavily, beginning to push his way through, disturbing some of the workers as he went. He bumped into a couple of them, hearing them snort at him in annoyance. How he wish he could just let his fist meet one of their faces. He never really liked the local population. They were an enigma that he could not figure out and it frustrated him.

The population that lived in these wild lands were distinguishable from all other races living in Minecraftia. Their skin was dark brown from the many months and years spent harvesting their crops. Where the main cities of Minecraftia were technologically and agriculturally advanced, the wild lands were simple and backwards. They lived in small sporadic towns, eating only a vegetarian diet of bread, carrots and potatoes. All of the locals had giant noses that covered their mouths and small black eyes. They had no hair which made them hard to distinguish between men and women. Honeydew had compared them to the dwarves, how both men and women have beards. Even so, the two genders could be distinguished. The dwarven women still had curves that named them female. These, locals, had no curves. They were flat and all the same. Lalna didn't much care to see if they looked the same underneath what they wore so he just had to accept what he saw. Xephos called them villagers. Lalna, however, nicknamed them Testificates, since they looked like they were bred in test tubes rather than the birthing process.

Lalna sighed gratefully as he finally reached the security desk. He flashed his badge quickly at the guard, watching his face as he slowly registered who he was. None of the day guards had ever seen Lalna before, but they had heard rumors. Lalna mused what the guard must be thinking, if all the horrid and explosive tales he had heard about the scientist added up to what Lalna actually looked like. It must have been true since the man straightened up, giving Lalna a messy salute. He nodded at the man, smirking slightly. Well, at least he knew how to show respect.

The guard quickly pushed a button, a door behind him buzzing loudly. Lalna moved swiftly to the door, pushing it open with ease. As the door closed, silence enveloped him, allowing him to think once again. This corridor was much less decorative than the grandeur of the entrance hall he just left. It was a simple stark white hall ending at a small room with two elevators. These elevators led to the main offices of all the different companies in Yog Inc as well as the expansive labs below. The building belonged to Yog Inc, but some of the many floors were rented out to different companies, funding many of Yog Inc's projects.

The elevator dinged, shocking Lalna. He looked up at the lights to show that it had come up from the labs. Who could be coming up at this hour?

"Why do you have to scare my guards," a male voice questioned as the doors moved open. Lalna looked down coming almost face to face with the man. He had short brown hair that spiked up in the front. A small goatee framed his chin, setting off the smirk that was covering his lips. He was wearing a white lab coat buttoned up almost to his chin. Lalna could still see the white and blue striped under shirt that the man was wearing. He smiled looking into the man's glowing blue eyes, the only thing that signaled that this man may not be human.

"What can I say, Xephos," Lalna said, shrugging, a smirk dancing across his face. "My reputation proceeds me." Lalna stepped into the elevator. He pressed the button for floor 12B. Lalna chuckled as he watched Xephos out of the corner of his eyes cross his arms.

"You know, you don't have to be the reckless, mad scientist," Xephos explained. Lalna glanced at him, seeing a frown appear on the man's face. Xephos was growing more and more exhausted with each passing day. He thought that Lalna couldn't see it but it was more apparent to the scientist than Lalna would let on. The scientist had seen what many nights of little to no sleep did to the human body and psyche. Lalna had experienced it first hand. He knew that Xephos was taking on too much work, trying to balance the cookie production with his own experiments down in the deep labs. Lalna wanted to help the man but Xephos wouldn't have it. He explained that he needed this, all of this. There were even rumors that Xephos was trying to start a space program, one to travel to the moon. Xephos closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You are such a maniac." Lalna couldn't help but laugh at his remark.

"Well, I have to live up to the 'mad' scientist," Lalna smiled, turning towards the man. Xephos chuckled, his face lighting up.

"You are going to be the death of me." Lalna grabbed Xephos by the shoulders shaking him slightly.

"Haven't killed ya yet." Lalna smiled, breathing in deeply. He stopped for a moment, an unfamiliar scent reaching his nostrils. It was different, but good. It smelled like carbohydrates and something he couldn't place. Was it metallic? Lalna sniffed at the air, trying to find where it was coming from. With the second whiff, he realized that it smelled like fresh baked bread and gin mixed with the scent of his machines. It was then that he felt it. A thump growing within his brain. Lalna was uncertain of what it was. He assumed that maybe he was getting a headache but the thumping was so rhythmic. One, two, one, two. It reminded him of something but what?

"Lalna?" Xephos's voice pulled Lalna from his thoughts. He looked down at the man. Xephos was only a couple inches shorter than him, something Lalna would never let him live down. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lalna said, pushing through the insistent thumping. "Just thinking about what I have to get done today." Lalna tried to hold his breath, trying to ignore the scent. He slowly began to focus his thoughts. For some reason, this scent was taking a hold of him, clouding his thinking. Why? What was this? It was then that the thoughts of this morning came back to him. If he was a vampire, what if this scent, what if it wasn't just a simple scent in the air but something more? Thump, thump. He had to figure out what it was. Lalna closed his eyes, willing his body to stay under control. Xephos was talking with him but Lalna didn't understand a word that was coming out of his mouth. Just one breath. Don't lose control. It is just one breath. Thump, thump. Lalna breathed in, the scent immediately attacking all of his senses. He turned sharply. The scent was coming from Xephos! Thump, thump. Then, that noise. Could it be?

The door dinged and Lalna didn't wait for the elevator doors to completely open. He grabbed the doors, throwing them open and bolting away from his friend. Lalna could feel the urge growing within him, especially since he knew now that the insufferable thumping had been Xephos's heart. There was a small part of him that wished to drain his friend of every drop of blood, wanting Xephos's breath to catch in the man's throat. Lalna couldn't let that happen. This was Xephos. He had to get away from his friend, to collect his thoughts, to become the mostly sane scientist that he was. If he just got to his office, Lalna knew he would be able to get back in control of himself.

Lalna quickly pushed past many of the scientists around him, trying his best in his uncalm state to not destroy many of their experiments. The testificates were not completely put off by Lalna running through their areas. After all, they all assumed he was slightly mad. But Xephos. . . How would he explain all of this to one of his closest friends? He couldn't think about that now. He had to focus. His door . . . What color was his office door? Think. Focus on that. One step at a time, just like in any experiment.

He turned quickly, around the corner, seeing his blue door. Lalna sighed heavily, grateful for the silence his office would give him. He hastened his pace, reaching the door in only a couple of steps. Lalna flung the door open, quickly moving inside and shutting the door behind him. He breathed heavily, grateful to be able to catch his breath. Leaning his head against the door, he quickly tried to think of a reason to get Xephos off of his back. Maybe Lalna could explain that he was worried about one of his experiments and that he needed to check on it before it went critical. That may work, he thought to himself. Lalna was grateful for this moment. His thoughts were once again falling into the organized, scientific method he was used to dealing with. Thank goodness, he was able to control the monster within him.

"Ummmmm . . . Hello," a voice said carefully, causing Lalna to immediately stiffen. Lalna spun around quickly, finding a woman standing by his desk. She had purplish brown hair that fell in soft waves just below her shoulders. A smile decorated her lips causing her brown eyes to sparkle. A lab coat covered her purple dress, a pair of Yog Inc goggles hanging around her neck. She was about to speak again when Lalna opened the door, slamming it on her. His thoughts moved quickly. Who was she? She wasn't a local. How did she find her way in here? Was she a spy?

"Lal . . . "

"Xephos!!!! Who the bloody hell is standing in my fucking office?!?!?!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like the chapter. It was a little weird to try and think what Xephos would smell like. Hahaha! You'll learn more about the woman in the next chapter.


	3. The Madness of Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After seeing a woman standing in his office, Lalna ends up having a conversation with Xephos.

Lalna watched as Xephos face turned from a look of worry to a look of . . . Was that annoyance? Why was Xephos annoyed with him? There was a security breach within their own labs and Xephos was looking at Lalna as an adult looks down at a five year old. He even pursed his lips the same. Lalna was dumbfounded. How could the man be reacting this way to him? Before Lalna could question Xephos further, the man groaned.

"You didn't hear a single word I said to you in the elevator, did you," Xephos asked, his voice stern. Lalna gulped. He hadn't been able to hear anything, his mind only being able to focus on that scent. Lalna stiffened slightly. What if that happened again? He had no where to run now, what with that stranger standing near his desk. "Lalna, I asked you a question."

"Sorry," Lalna said, quickly, trying not to breathe in deeply. It wasn't the best reaction to have but he knew it would create results. If he didn't breathe in, Lalna wouldn't smell it again. "I was . . . Uh . . . I thought . . ." He had not thought this far into his plan. Xephos's blue eyes glared at him, a mix of worry flashing in and out like a second thought. Lalna sighed heavily. He smiled at Xephos, rubbing a hand through his hair. "I was worried about one of my experiments. I didn't want to blow up the labs again. After all, I'm trying to break my safety record." He tried to chuckle lightly but it ended up sounding more like a choking sound than a laugh. Lalna watched Xephos carefully, hoping that this would be a good enough reason for him to drop the subject entirely. Xephos returned the careful inspection as if searching for the real reason his friend had bolted from the elevator only seconds earlier. "So . . . About the woman that is standing in my office . . ." Xephos rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. Lalna could see he was conceding to Lalna's answer. Lalna relaxed a little, grateful to be focusing on something other than the monster growing stronger within him.

"She isn't what you think she is," Xephos said, glancing at Lalna quickly. If he was thinking clearly, Lalna would have made a joke about how he would love to accept an early birthday present or a raise from Yog Inc. To be honest, she wasn't bad to look at, well, what he saw of her in his haste. Instead, Lalna just nodded, causing Xephos to stop for a moment. Xephos raised am eyebrow at him, the same question look appearing on his face. Seeing this, Lalna forced out a small chuckle, saying something about women of the night. Honestly, he didn't even know what he was saying. Xephos watched him, puzzled before continuing. "Honeydew thought it would be a good idea for you to have an assistant so he asked me to find one for you."

"Wait . . . What," Lalna exclaimed, his eyes widening. He was not expecting that answer. All calm and calculative thought flew out the window as he tried to analyze what this meant. Emotion bubbled up within him. Fear and anger were the most prominent. The instinct for him to run was so strong that he had to force himself not to move. "How could you two think this was a good idea?!? For heaven sakes, Xephos, don't you remember what happened the last time I had someone helping me? She is now stuck in quarantine with some alien entity attached to her cells because of me!" Lalna started to pace back and forth, thinking of what it meant to have someone close to him day in and day out. He would have to train her in all of the experiments that he was working on so she could check them correctly. She could be a hindrance to his studies. If she mixed the wrong ingredients or didn't take care of the experiments, she could cause catastrophic errors that could get people killed. However, that wasn't the only thing he was thinking of.

What if he were to attack her? Lalna realized now that the monster couldn't just be controlled by himself alone. It was growing more powerful as time went on. He would need other things. It could be possible, to live without drinking a drop of blood. He had done it so far. But what if she found out? Would he become the scientific study?

"No offense to Nano," Xephos said, pulling Lalna out of the dark spiral of thoughts. Lalna stopped, looking up at Xephos. When had he started to look down at the ground? Xephos's face was calm, his voice monotone. He could tell that this news was bothering Lalna but Lalna mused that it was not for the reasons Xephos was probably thinking of. "This one is not being dumped on you. I interviewed a lot of people to find her." Lalna chuckled, bringing his hand to his forehead.

"What, is she insane," Lalna asked, a small smirk coming across his lips. "I mean, that is the only way she would want to work with someone like me." Xephos closed his eyes, bringing his hand up to his chin in a contemplative manner.

"Hmmmmmmm," Xephos thought, scratching his chin. "Honestly that never came up. I might need to look up on that." Xephos winked at Lalna, causing both of them to burst into laughter. Gosh, was Lalna happy for that.

"Her name is Nyra," Xephos said, catching his breath and wiping the tears from his eyes. "She graduated top of her class. . ."

"I don't care about that," Lalna said, brushing off the comment. If she had graduated from one of the universities around here, that was like saying she was the smartest of the dumb which reiterated his point of having to train someone and make sure they were correctly executing all the steps of the experiments. He didn't need someone holding him back. Xephos looked at Lalna slyly.

"You didn't let me finish." 

"Honestly, I don't care what backwards university she graduated from," Lalna stated flatly, shoving his hands into his lab coat pockets. He furrowed his brow. "I don't need someone holding me back." The sly smile was still plastered on Xephos's face. Lalne shrugged off his expression. He turned to open his door to address the woman in his office when Xephos spoke again.

"Icaria University." Those two words caused Lalna to freeze. He must have heard Xephos wrong. Puzzled, he turned his head to look at the man.

"Come again." Xephos's smile grew larger.

"You heard me."

"Well, that's impossible," Lalna stated, facing the man and crossing his arms. Why would someone who graduated the top of her class from one of the most renowned schools be in this backward country? "The likelihood of her coming through the desert to the wild lands with her credentials is," he started, quickly doing the math in his head,"0.0000000000001% chance. Someone would have easily given her a job as head of their science department with plenty of money to sustain her very comfortably. She would have never come here."

"But that is just what she did," Xephos said, pulling out a folder from the bunch of papers he was holding at his side. When did he get those? Lalna grabbed the folder from Xephos, realizing just how out of it he was this morning. He opened it, finding all of the woman's credentials. Glancing through the different papers, Lalna found a copy of her university GPA, her diploma, her resume as well as detailed notes of her interview with Xephos. By the words he used to describe her, Xephos had been very impressed. Lalna wasn't so sure. He closed the folder, handing it back to Xephos. "She had heard about us from a friend out here in the wilds. Supposedly, we are the kind of company she wants to work for."

"Xephos, I'm not so sure," Lalna sighed, closing his eyes, scratching the stubble on his chin. There must be a reason why she chose to come out here. No one runs away from utopia without a reason. She must have some dark secret. But, well, who didn't around here. . .

"Just, give her one day, Lalna," Xephos said, shaking his head. Lalna knew that this action was aimed at him. Before Lalna could speak again, Xephos held up his hand. "If it doesn't work out, I'll find a different place for her. Sipsco was looking for a new science branch, anyways. She can go work for them."

"Very well," Lalna said, looking over at Xephos. He could stand her one day. She shouldn't get into that much trouble in the last couple hours of the work day. He smiled, winking at the man. "Why is it that you are the one that always coerces me into something?"

"It's just because I know your weakness," Xephos said suggestively, smiling at him. Another round of laughter rose within them. "I'll see ya later, friend."

"Another meeting?"

"Isn't it always," Xephos asked, his face falling slightly. Lalna watched as it looked like a weight was laid on Xephos's shoulders. His face darkened, as pure exhaustion appeared in his eyes. Lalna felt the urge to try and console his friend like Xephos had done for him in times before. Xephos turned to go before saying one more thing. "Lalna. Be nice."

"Am I not always," Lalna said cheekily. Xephos glared at him softly, before smiling. At least, he could make Xephos laugh and smile. Lalna waved. "See ya later, ya workaholic." Lalna watched as Xephos walked swiftly and carefully back through the labs towards the elevators. As he turned out of Lalna's view, he sighed loudly, closing his eyes. 

All the events of the morning had not helped him at all. With all the stress compounding on one another, he was surprised that he hadn't reacted more rashly when talking with Xephos. Maybe the fear of actually hurting someone caused him to hold back his anger. Fear was never useful in the scientific field. Lalna always saw it as a hindrance, holding him back from trying more dangerous experiments. This was the reason why he had turned off that emotion those many years ago. It was the same as having friends. As much as he enjoyed the random adventures and the times that he had spent with them, there was the weight of trying to keep them safe, caring for them enough to put their needs above what he wanted. But, with the trade off, he knew that he could count on them for anything. She would be just another hindrance, something that would hold him back from the experiments he wished to study. It would be better if she worked for Sipsco. Plus, she would have her own department to shape the way she wanted. It would be better for the both of them. He nodded, quickly turning on his heel.

Lalna brought his hand quickly to the door handle before hesitating. There was a small nagging, an urge he wished to suppress, wanting nothing to do with these thoughts of fear, worry, and . . . loneliness? He shook his head as if to shake away the memories of him stuck alone in his lab, watching as new hypothesis were being born. It was necessary. He couldn't spend time in relationships when he had science to do. But, there was a time when he welcomed friends into his household, when he wished for the company of others. Humans, though, used and abused him. One of his closest friends had stolen from him and then destroyed his hard work. Because of that, he had caused another of his friends to hate him. Lalna still blamed himself for that. It was then he swore he would never grow close to someone again.

Lalna had joined the two men heading into the sand just as a business partnership. They needed someone that knew about machines to help them set up their cookie factory in the wildlands. There was nothing left for him in this place people saw as utopia. He had lost everything. Thinking the wildlands would be a nice change of scenery, Lalna had decided to travel with them, knowing very well, he would never come back. Plus, they had promised to give him enough supplies that he could restart all of his experiments and many knew ones he wished to try. But, the sands had been tough, causing Lalna to have to lean on his new traveling partners more than he had hoped. He learned more about who they were each and every day and they learned about him. So, when the pair had been surrounded by zombies and skeletons, Lalna did not hesitate to help them. He tried to argue with himself that the only reason he saved them was because he was using them to gain supplies for his experiments. However, Lalna knew that wasn't true. The trials of the sand had caused him to grow attached to the men he was traveling with. In return, they had grown attached to him, calling him "friend" much more readily. Even with all the hardships, his journey through the sands actually became one of his fondest memories. Maybe, she could become close to him like the workaholic spaceman and the eccentric dwarf.

No, he thought harshly, quickly silencing the thoughts of the possibility of a partner. No, he was meant to be alone. Science is a lonely field. People needed to understand that. Science was unfeeling, calculative and most of all purposeful. Knowledge would move forward even if someone tried to stop it. This was the path he had set himself upon. He grasped the door handle firmly, coming to the decision.

When Lalna entered for the second time, the woman was sitting on the seat in front of his desk. She looked up at him as he entered, her brown eyes catching his blue. A small smile sat upon her lips as he took a deep breath in and moved swiftly to his desk. He picked up a stack of papers, fidgeting slightly, trying to organize papers. She watched him carefully. Lalna cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry for what happened earlier," Lalna stated, not allowing any emotion to show through his words. There could be no attachment. He kept telling himself that she would be better off in a different sector.

"It's quite alright," she said, smiling at him. Her voice was loud and bouncy, full of energy. She chuckled softly. "I assume that Xephos hadn't explained who I was so when you burst into your office late, seeing me standing near your desk, I could see why you reacted that way. I mean, after all, I could have been someone who just broke in to the labs." She laughed again. Her laugh was so infective that Lalna couldn't help but crack a smile. This woman was definitely an outgoing person. Why did she choose to come to the wildlands or, more importantly, why would she choose to be a scientist? It seems that she would have done very well as a public relations expert or as some actress. She was kinda pretty, in an annoying, loud way.

"Anyways," she said, standing up and extending her hand to Lalna, "the name is Nyra Kingsley. I look forward to working with you."


	4. Pigheaded Goggle Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lalna shares with the new employee why he and she would never make a good team. Also, Lalna reflects on his past transgressors.

"Well, don't get too comfortable," Lalna said flatly, not accepting her hand. Her smile faltered slightly before her hand fell to her side once more. "You will not be working for me long for I assume tomorrow you shall be switched to a different subsector." Nyra folded her arms, looking at Lalna. The smile was still on her face yet a confused look had settled into her eyes.

"And why would you say that, Mr. Goggle Boy,"Nyra asked, glaring at him slightly. A small sparkle of what Lalna assumed as playfulness ignited in her brown eyes. Did she think he was joking with her? Lalna chuckled. He never joked about his science.

"Because, we don't work well together," he said plainly, shrugging his shoulders. Nyra's brow furrowed in contemplation. Assuming that the conversation was over, Lalna turned back to his paper work. He had many experiments that needed to be checked up on and he didn't need any more distractions. Besides, there were more things he needed to understand about the . . . vampiric tendencies that were growing within him. First, he would need some blood samples. Then, he could start small scale tests on either finding a cure or way to live with this disorder. His thoughts were soon running away with himself so it caught him by surprise when the sound of laughter broke through the silence instead of the click of a door knob. Lalna looked up to see Nyra standing in the same spot, watching him.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I beg you're pardon," Lalna said, sternly. He glared at her over his clipboard which only sent her into a bigger fit of laughter. Was she mocking him? How dare she do this in HIS office? Lalna could feel his blood starting to boil. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in before he did something that he regretted. "I don't 'kid' about my experiements." She looked at him confidently, raising an eyebrow.

"And why would you assume that we, as you put it so bluntly, don't work well together," Nyra asked, placing her hands on her hips, awaiting his reply. He looked at her confused.

"Well, isn't it obvious," Lalna said, matter of factly.

"Hmmmmm," she thought, placing a hand on her chin, "well, your pig headed ness might be a small hindrance but I think I can manage that." Nyra smiled at him.

"That isn't what I was talking about." Lalna wrinkled his nose at her in annoyance. He didn't need any more of this.

"Well, at least you acknowledge that side of you. That's the first step of getting help." Lalna slammed the clipboard onto the desk.

"That is not what I meant," Lalna stated, a little louder than he thought. Nyra, however, didn't budge. She still had that silly smile on her face. Did she just wink at him?

"Why don't you actually say what you mean then," Nyra asked, shrugging. Lalna could feel his mind reeling. He couldn't fathom why she did not understand his statement. It was completely translucent to him. Why was she being so frustrating? Was here IQ really that low? How could she have graduated top of her class when she didn't even understand what it meant to be a scientist?

"Well, let me enlighten you," Lalna said, slightly condescending. He felt like he was talking down to a child. Nyra looked up at him, tapping her foot, waiting for this great explanation. How was it that she could get under his skin the way that it seemed only she could?

"You are classically trained," Lalna said, referencing to her education. "I, on the other hand, have lived science since I was born. Science has always been a part of me." He looked down at her as he continued. "I did not choose to be a scientist because of my education. I was born to be one."

"Further more, you do not understand how I run my experiments or organize my notes. How can I trust you to record items correctly if you do not know how to do it? It would be far easier for me to continue by myself than to train someone." Lalna watched as Nyra closed her eyes, a small frown appearing on her face. She placed her hand on her chin as she was thinking. Finally, she was beginning to understand. Knowing he was making progress, Lalna continued.

"Also, I'm fairly certain you have no everyday experience with the properties and mathematical equations needed for my experiments. Sure, you may have studied them in a 'lab' like environment. In a real lab, however, experiments are unstable and you have to change things quickly. You are doing equations on the fly as you are keeping the experiment under control."

"And finally, why would anyone choose to come to the wildlands anyways? Especially someone with such high regard as yourself. Graduating top of your class from the top university, I would assume that you had many opportunities to further your employment but yet, you choose to pick up everything and come here of all places." Lalna shook his head and shrugged. "Therefore, we do not work well together." Nyra opened her eyes, pacing slowly around his room. Any scientist would think twice when the facts were brought forth in a concise manner. Lalna smiled, confidently. He knew he had won this argument. "I have more points that I could discuss with you but I have wasted too much of my day as it is. Now, if you excuse me, I have my experiments to get to."

"You bring up some good points," Nyra conceded, causing Lalna to nod his head. She was far more understanding than he had once thought. Maybe, she wouldn't be that bad of an assistant after all.

"Have you ever thought," Nyra started, pausing in front of a white board that Lalna had scribbled an equation on that was necessary for his experiment today,"that maybe I choose to study science in school because I wanted to be a scientist, not because I was being forced? Personally, I know I don't fit the 'type' of being a scientist but I can't stop doing what I love to do." Lalna contemplated this. He never thought that school could actually feed someone's love of science. He found it controlling and annoying. School was holding him back from what he really wished to do, trying to control his creativity. That was the reason why he didn't finish his own education at Icaria University. Lalna was able to do far more experiments when backed by his family's funds than by spending it going to school.

"I understand that I will need training in how you run your department," Nyra continued, "but you will find that I am very quick and ready to learn. I would say, it is one of my strengths. And, about the wildlands. . . Why does anyone come here to this remote part of the world? Why did you come here?" She glanced at him sideways, causing Lalna to stop. The way that she looked at him sent a shiver up his spine. Was it that she knew of his past? That was impossible! He had buried it with the ruins of his old lab. Lalna had even changed his name. A sly smile came across her red lips as she pointed to a number on the white board. "Also, you accidentally carried this number to the wrong decimal place." It was now Lalna's turn to laugh. It was more nerves than humorous but he could tell it still caught Nyra off guard.

"I checked that equation several times," Lalna chuckled, crossing his arms. "It is absolutely 100% correct." Nyra shook her head.

"No, you are 0.0001 off," Nyra said, motioning towards the board. "The first part is correct. Each property of the Jeb principle is rounded to the correct significant figures but, however," she paused, following the mathematical equations with her hand, "when you placed your findings into Notch's principle of equivalent exchange, for some reason, you rounded to one less significant figure which causes your final property to be off. Your final value should be 0.98276 not 0.9828."

"No, no," Lalna said, smiling at her. She shrugged, moving away from the white board.

"Well, why don't you check yourself?"

"Very well," Lalna said, quickly moving around his desk and coming to stand beside Nyra in front of the white board. He began to do the math once again in his head as he looked over the equations. Once Lalna proved Nyra wrong, this could be point number 5 to the ever increasing list of why they would not make a good team. As he was pondering what he would say to her, Lalna came to the part in question. There! The significant figures are absolutely . . . He froze, his face falling quickly into a frown. The black marker seemed to stand out more boldly against the stark white background as if it was framing the mistake that was now glaring at him so obviously. Nyra had been right. As he continued through his calculations, Lalna found that the true answer should be Nyra's value instead of the one written on the board. How could he have made such a childish error?

"I think I will take my lunch now," Nyra mused, pulling Lalna from his frantic, critical thoughts. He ignored her since he was so absorbed in his mistake. Lalna jumped when he felt a hand on his back. He turned quickly to find Nyra smiling at him. Lalna was about to lash out at her but the look in her eyes caused his anger to melt. This was the same look that Xephos would give him when Lalna missed a meal or stayed up all night experimenting. It was care and kindness. She rubbed his back encouragingly before turning towards his office door and making her way outside. Lalna stood there, stunned as the door slowly closed behind her.

Lalna physically slapped himself. He had been so rude to her and yet she was still looking at him with kindness?!? What was wrong with this person? Why wasn't she angry at him? If Lalna had been in the same situation, which he had been many times, he would have yelled at the person, quit and stormed out of his office. Yet, she had been patient, listening carefully to his reasons, not at all, reacting harshly to him. Lalna sighed heavily, wiping the bottom half of the white board, replacing the wrong calculations with the correct ones. Once he had finished, Lalna moved back to his desk, slumping into his chair. He threw his head into his hand, reflecting back on what had just happened. Why had he decided it was a bad idea to have an assistant. This . . . woman was making him rethink everything he had felt was right.

Science was a lonely field of study, Lalna drilled into his mind. It was not made so that one could make friends. He had always been alone. It was his curse for studying what he loved. But yet. . . Xephos had come to study with him and so had Zoey. Even Nano had come to learn from him. It hadn't always been lonely. No, he had to protect himself from people who would use him, steal from him and then, in the end, destroy his work or their friendship. He nodded, agreeing with this point. A small voice, though, kept reminding him of Xephos and Honeydew. Sure, he had been with them for a couple years now but it was only a matter of time. Though, what about his past? What about the architect?

Lalna scoffed, remembering all the transgressions that this one man had perpetrated against him. This man had stolen from Lalna, betrayed his trust, and then sent all of his hard work flying into the sky from an explosion caused by his nuclear reactor overheating. Lalna thought that he would never see this man again, now being in the wildlands. If he knew actually how wrong he was, Lalna may never have come here in the first place. He remembered when the architect had appeared here in Yog Inc with the pale blue face mastermind of Sipsco, hoping to join their company. Lalna had been livid, arguing with both Xephos and Honeydew to stop them from joining. They, however, had already decided to allow them to join.   
At first, Lalna loathed it, trying to find ways of removing them from the company. It was his goal, the only thing he could focus on. Lalna was not expecting what actually happened. The man had come to talk to Lalna while he was working on a teleporter to a land that had been explained to him as only having sky islands. They argued with each other, Lalna quickly bringing up what had happened in the past. The architect wanted to put the past behind them, but Lalna wouldn't allow it. Then, Lalna couldn't remember what had happened but the two of them had tumbled through the portal, almost falling off the sky island that they were transported to. Frantically, Lalna pushed the architect off of him, moving quickly towards the portal. It sealed up before he could reach it, trapping the architect and Lalna on the small little island with nothing more than one tree, a block of ice, and a covered bucket of lava that Lalna had in his hands. Assuming that this would be the end, Lalna slumped on the edge of the island, looking out at the void. Well, it wasn't exactly the way he thought he was going to die but it definitely could have been worse. The voice that broke the silence said something that Lalna was not expecting.

"I'm sorry," the architect said, softly. Lalna glanced over at him as he sat crossed leg in the grass.

"It's not your fault the portal is faulty," Lalna said, waving off the comment. "I should have done more small scale testing before making a giant portal."

"No, I'm not sorry about that," the architect said, shaking his head. Lalna glared at him.

"Then, Sjin, what are you sorry about," Lalna asked, sarcastically. He watched as Sjin stood, coming to sit on the edge right next to Lalna. Lalna looked at him, questioningly. "You know, I could just push you off." Sjin laughed, confusing Lalna even more.

"I know you hate me but not that much," Sjin said, smiling at Lalna. An awkward silence fell between them as they looked out at the horizon. It almost felt normal, like how they were before.

"So, uh," Lalna started, clearing his throat, "what were you apologizing for?" Sjin smacked his fist against his hand, causing Lalna to jump slightly.

"Oh yeah, I was apologizing for before, back in the outskirts of Icaria," Sjin said, looking over at Lalna. The smile that had been on his face melted in to what looked like sorrow. "I honestly don't know what I was thinking. I'm really sorry for everything that had happened between us. It was all my fault, Livid."

"My name isn't Livid," Lalna said, sighing heavily. "Not anymore. I buried it with my work." He rubbed his hand through his hair. Every night that he had cursed this man's name, never had Lalna ever thought he would have apologized for his actions against him. "To be honest, it wasn't completely all your fault." Silence fell between them once again as the both looked out at the blue sky.

"So, you think Lalna was a better choice for a name," Sjin joked, jabbing Lalna in the side. They both lost themselves to their hearty laughter, causing tears to form at the edge of their eyes. "Man, that felt good," Sjin said, wiping the tear from his eye, "kind of like how we were those many years ago." Lalna smiled at the man. Nodding his head as if coming to a decision, Sjin stood up quickly, rolling up his sleeves. "Well, we can't just sit around like lazy bums. We need to build ourselves a shelter."

"Sjin, there isn't much do build a shelter out of," Lalna said, motioning towards the dirt and lonely tree. "Besides, why do we need one?"

"I am not going to be sleeping underneath the stars until someone finds us," Sjin commented, beginning to chop down the tree. Lalna just smiled, leaning back in the grass.

"I don't know," Lalna mused. "It might be a nice change of scenery." He was just barely able to catch the stick that Sjin had tossed to him, causing both men to once again share in the laughter. As they worked together, the two men had quickly fallen back into their joking, friendly ways. On their little island, nothing else really mattered. The past was nonexistent except the scars that decorated their bodies.

A month passed before the portal once again opened. Xephos and the pale blue man were the ones to great Lalna and Sjin. They had made a comfortable home for themselves on this small island floating in the sky. When they returned home, Sjin and Lalna became friends once again. Lalna never expected that he would ever forgive the man that had destroyed everything but yet, because of their small island, he was able to see the architect once more as someone he could call friend.

Lalna leaned back in his desk, scratching his chin. Maybe he could have an assistant. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't actually be a hindrance. He stood up quickly, slamming his hands on his desk, jostling a stack of papers and causing them to topple over. He had made his decision. Lalna bolted quickly through his office door, scaring a couple of the villagers as they were doing their experiments. He could allow her to help him. It would be a privilege for her to learn under him. Lalna smiled as he made his way to the elevator. Now, to only find where she went to.


	5. Beating of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lalna searches for Nyra, hoping to give her the job of his assistant. He finds her with the last person he would have imagined.

Lalna sighed heavily, stomping heavily back into the elevator. His shoulders slumped as he pressed the button for the next level. He had searched through all the small restaurants that dotted around Yog Inc, fairly certain that he would find Nyra sitting in one of the booths, eating a sandwich or whatever she wanted. When he hadn't found her in any of the eateries, he decided to search Yog Inc floor by floor, hoping someone had seen her. He had started his search with gusto, but now, thirty minutes in, Lalna was beginning to think he would never find her. Each floor had brought forth the same results. No one had seen or knew of Nyra. The floors were slowly becoming less populated, the freezer level only holding one testificate who was bundled up in a giant jacket. He looked up, watching as the number ticked to fifty-four. This was the last floor, his last chance for finding Nyra. As the doors opened, he was expecting to see a very empty floor. Instead, the sight sent him reeling, clinging to the back wall. This floor was the most populated of them all.

Tables were scattered across the floor, seating anywhere from two to ten people. Each table was filled to the brim, causing a hum in conversation to reverberate across the open floor. In the back corner, a kitchen sat, delicious scents and sounds danced around, completely taking over the senses. A host stood near a podium, a sign hanging from the ceiling. It named the restaurant Chez Sjips. Lalna chuckled slightly, pulling himself from the wall. This must be one of the new hair brained get rich quick schemes from the dynamic dirt duo. Lalna wondered how long this place may have been here. As he mused over his thoughts, the elevator dinged, the doors starting to close. With reflexes he didn't know he had, Lalna nimbly squeezed past the doors, coming to stand in front of the host. The man did not look up from the podium as he started to speak.

"Good day, sir," the man said, his Scottish accent causing Lalna to lean in closer to understand him. "Will you be dining alone or are you waiting for someone?" Lalna furrowed his brow. This man looked familiar to him. Lalna was certain that he had seen this man hanging around both Sjin and the owl conservationist. He had a small lanky frame and black hair that stuck up in odd directions. Big, square glasses sat on his face, reflecting the paper he was scanning. He wore a green tie that brought out the green in his eyes.

"Nilesy," Lalna questioned, causing the man to look up. The man's expression immediately changed from boredom to recognition, his frown becoming a smile.

"Hey, Lalna, long time no see," Nilesy said, smiling. "Glad to see you're finally out of your cave. Thought for a second that you turned into a vampire or something. Hadn't seen you in the light of day for a while." Lalna laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hand through his hair. If the man only knew how close he actually was to the truth.

"Hahaha, that's funny," Lalna said, making himself smile. "You know I don't believe in that stuff. Save that discussion for Rythian."

"Hoho, too true there science man," Nilesy said. "So just one for ya?"

"Well, I was looking for someone. My new assistant...."

"Wait? The man of solitude has an assistant? What ever happened to science is the only companion for me, eh?" Lalna crossed his arms.

"Well, how did a pool man become a host at a Sipsco owned restaurant?" He raised an eyebrow at the man. Nilesy was the owner of Nilesy's best and greatest number one importer/exporter of really good pools and pool accessories, a business that had actually been doing very well for itself. Why would the head of a prosperous company be working for Sipsco?

"Haha, you got me there," Nilesy laughed nervously, pushing his glasses back onto his face. Lalna watched Nilesy for a moment as he fiddled with his collar. "Let's just say, I have a small debt I need to pay off and this was better than being their pool boy." Lalna laughed, knowing all to well the tortures Sipsco would put the poor man through if he had accepted the pool boy offer. Nilesy cleared his throat, causing Lalna to turn his attention back to the scrawny man. "So, assistant, huh?"

"Yeah," Lalna said, sighing softly. "Xephos thought that I might need one. He hired her. Supposedly, she knocked his socks off."

"She?" Nilesy smiled. "Oh, that new girl with the brown hair and purple dress?"

"Yeah, that's her. Is she here?" Lalna searched the crowd. He thought it would be easy to spot her within the sea of villagers but yet, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"I sat her about 20 minutes ago. She was having lunch with Sjin."

"Sjin," Lalna asked, confused. Why would Sjin be having lunch with Nyra?

"Yeah, when she said she was a new employee at Yog Inc, Sjin thought it would be nice to have lunch with her, get to know her and welcome her to the company. Just friendly chatter." It made sense. Sjin was an outgoing person, a good contrast to the introvert dirt entrepreneur. He took on much of the business because of his people skills, one of the reasons why he had been chosen to be the second of Sipsco. Nilesy turned and pointed back towards the kitchen. "They should be back there near the kitchen." Lalna followed his hand, catching a glimpse of Sjin and his mustache.

"Thanks," Lalna said, moving towards where he had seen Sjin. He moved carefully in between the tables, trying not to bump into any one. As he moved closer to the back, he could hear Sjin's voice starting to come through the murmuring of the crowd. Lalna smiled as he caught sight of the back of Nyra's head.

"So you mean to tell me that you came all the way down from the mainland to work in the depths of this company," Lalna heard Sjin say, causing him to stop a short distance from their table. Were they talking about the labs?

"I know it might seem weird that I wished to work in this company far from anyone that I once knew but," Nyra said, pausing for a second. She played with her glass that sat on the table, causing the ice to swirl around the edge. "But, I wanted to study under neath some of the greatest scientists of all times. Up in the mainland, across the sand, I was thought of as the greatest." Nyra shrugged. "Honestly, that was not what I hoped for. I wanted to learn more but the schools and labs that I studied at could only teach me so much. Out here was a completely different story."

"That is true," Sjin said, chuckling softly. "Because of the land's composition, many different ore deposits are found and only found here. It allows for much more flexibility when it comes to science and magic." He smiled. "But you may not want to call Lalna one of the greatest scientists of all times. It might go to his head." He laughed loudly causing Nyra to chuckle. Sjin looked past Nyra, catching the eyes of Lalna. A sly smile came across the man's face causing Lalna to freeze. Had Sjin known that Lalna had been there the whole time?

"Well, if you ever get tired of the hole in the ground," Sjin continued, turning his attention back to Nyra, "you can easily come work for us. We need a new person to lead our science division."

"Thanks," Nyra said, bowing slightly. "I'll remember that. Even though I may come work sooner for you than I would want." Lalna was shocked. Was she actually considering working for Sipsco? To be honest, he had not been the nicest to her when she first entered his office but the idea that Sipsco was stealing his assistant from him was frustrating. His hands balled into fists. He was getting angry. Why was this making him angry? Without even thinking, Lalna moved towards the table. Sjin smiled up at him, causing Nyra to turn towards him.

"Hello, Lalna," Sjin said, smiling brightly. "Been here long?"

"Hey, Lalna," Nyra said, a little shocked. Lalna barely heard them talking to him. His anger was boiling up within him and he did not know why. He was angry at Sjin for trying to steal his assistant. He was angry at Nyra for betraying him so easily. He was angry at himself for acting that way towards Nyra. He was angry at the noise that seemed to envelope him in the restaurant. The beating was pounding into his brain. It was so deafening. Lalna could sense it within everyone that sat around him. Out of all the people around him, it came the loudest from Sjin. Oh, how easy it would be to ring that man's neck, stopping that incessant beating heart. How Lalna wished he could tear open Sjin's neck, letting the blood drain from him. It would taste so good. It would feel so good. Lalna could feel his fangs aching. They were urging him, pushing him to fuel his anger, to kill this man who had wronged him so many times before and was now again failing him. Sjin was trying to steal his assistant. HIS. Not Sjin's. A growl grew within him, more beastly than human. He would do this. This was who he is after all. He is a monster.

"Lalna," a voice asked. Soon, Lalna felt a pressure on his shoulder. How dare someone touch him? He lashed out quickly, grabbing the wrist of whomever it was. Lalna turned violently, pulling the person closer to him, catching them in an embrace. A small gasp escaped their lips as Lalna caught their eyes. Brown eyes stared up at him, filled with the same care and worry he had seen earlier. Lalna blinked several times, focusing on the face that was now mere inches away from his own. Nyra stared up at him, watching him carefully. She was blushing softly. What? What is going on? Lalna registered that he still held her wrist in one of his hands and had grabbed her around her middle with his other arm. Her body was flush against his, their lips just inches apart. He felt his face grow red as he realized how close she was to him. Lalna released her quickly, looking down at the floor. What was he doing? Was he trying to . . . eat her? Was he going to kill her? Maybe she should go work for Sipsco. Then, maybe, she would be safe from him.

"I'm sorry," Lalna stated, breaking the silence that had fallen between the three of them. He turned quickly, making his way back to the elevator. How could he be so stupid? What was he thinking? She wouldn't be safe around him. He couldn't control any of this . . . . These abilities were a curse. He almost killed a whole floor of testificates. Oh God, what if he actually had? Lalna would never have forgiven himself. He would not be able to live after something like that. No, he needed to leave. Science would not help with this. "I need to run. I need to get away."


	6. All Humanity Is Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lalna runs, realizing how much of a monster he truly is. Someone chases after him and their life is now in Lalna's hands. Will he feed for the first time?

Lalna took far less care moving through the restaurant leaving as he did coming. His mind was too wrapped up in the hypotheticals of what could have happened. He visually flinched as he remembered how easily he had come to the decision of killing every single person on this floor just to stop their hearts. Lalna shivered. Where had those thoughts come from? Was it from the anger surrounding Sjin and everything he had done to Lalna? Lalna was so certain that the pair had worked through their pasts. No, it could not have been because of that. The image of snapping Sjin's neck resurfaced in his mind, causing his stomach to churn sickly. How could he have wanted that event to come to past? Was it because Sjin was trying to take what was his? Someone that was going to work for him? She wouldn't want to work for him now, especially of how he had just reacted to her. He had been so rough with her. Lalna had felt how easy it would have been for him to have broken Nyra's wrist and it had come to his mind. Yet, she pulled him out of it. Would she be able to do that again? No. . . . He couldn't chance any of this. He needed to leave Yog Inc. He needed to run into the nearest desert and let the sun take him. There was no way he could live like this. He would not allow himself to be a monster. He would never give his enemies that satisfaction.

The elevator doors dinged as Lalna pushed by Nilesy and into the elevator. He could hear Nilesy calling to him but Lalna ignored him, frantically pressing the elevator buttons. He needed to leave. Lalna sighed heavily as the doors started to close. He felt safer as the doors came closer together.

"Wait," someone called, shoving their foot into the door. A sound of pain escaped the person as the elevators crunched and then slowly reopened. Lalna stiffened as he saw the person who had stopped the elevator. Nyra was standing in front of the doors, watching him. She was heaving slightly. Had she chased after him?

"May I join you," Nyra asked. Lalna could not let her join him. What if he attacked her in the elevator? She would have no place to go. He could feel her heart beat and could almost taste the delicious coppery liquid that he assumed pumped through her veins. He could just have one bite. Lalna nodded his head, the plan of jumping her when the doors closed. Nyra stepped in to the elevator, the doors closing behind her. She came to stand next to him, only a few inches apart. Lalna could feel his body trying to move closer to her. He had no idea how to go about biting and drinking from someone but his instincts would lead him. He just had to trust these. No, what was he thinking?!? This was absurd. He couldn't do this . . . Wait, he probably could do it . . . but he shouldn't do it. This was wrong. However, humans milk cows and eat chicken eggs. One bite would be just like that. Yeah. . . There is ten pints of blood in a human body. Would she miss one pint? Lalna moved closer to Nyra until two words caused him to freeze.

"I'm sorry," Nyra said, softly, catching Lalna's eyes. Lalna blinked carefully, rational thought once again dictating his actions. 

"What," Lalna started. Why was she apologizing? Wasn't it he who had been rude to her? Lalna's eyes widened, the color draining from his face as he remembered just moments ago how he had almost allowed Nyra to become lunch. Why was she still here? Lalna should just push her out of the elevator onto the next floor. She would be safer. He moved towards the buttons to push one of the buttons to stop on the next floor but she had been quicker. Nyra moved towards the buttons and immediately pulled the fire stop. The elevator lurched slightly as it screeched to a halt. Lalna was flung to the floor, the sudden stop catching him by surprise. "What have you done?!?!?" Lalna glared at Nyra. Why would she lock herself in here with him? This had become even more dangerous. He wasn't sure if he could stop himself again. At least before, she could have still escaped. Now, they were trapped together.

"We need to talk," Nyra said, standing up slowly from the floor. Lalna did not realize she had fallen to the floor as well. She offered her hand to Lalna whom accepted it, allowing her to help him up. "I haven't been completely honest of my reasons for being here. I know who you are." Lalna's mind froze. What did she mean? Did she know what he was? Wait how would she know? 

"What do you mean," Lalna asked, his voice trembling. Lalna thought he had been so careful. Had she seen his fangs? To be honest, Lalna kept forgetting the difference. "How could you have known?"

"I didn't tell anyone, becuase I assume that you wanted to keep it a secret," Nyra continued. "I mean, I understand why. It can be a burden." His mind raced at these words. What did she mean by these statements? Wait . . . Did she turn him? Was it an experiment? Was he just some lab rat to her? Or was he just some lackey that she could use as one of her slaves? He could his feel his blood beginning to boil. How dare she do this to him? How dare she change him? He grabbed a hold of her shoulders, holding her in front of him. He could feel the thirst growing within him again and that oh so delicious urge to end the fragile life that stood in front of him. She was weak. Lalna knew he could slice her throat and drain the blood from her body. He could feel the blood dripping down from his lips. His teeth ached for the feeling, the taste. Lalna knew he should do this.

"You have no idea," Lalna said, bringing Nyra closer to him. He could tell that this action embarrassed her. She turned her head to the side, looking down to the ground. Lalna eyed the curve of her neck. The skin was so smooth. If he just placed a bit of pressure on one of the veins, Lalna was certain he could. . . .

"Hello, is everyone ok," a male voice crackled into the closed elevator. Nyra quickly pulled away from Lalna, causing a low growl to escape his lips as she moved towards where the sound had come from. A speaker sat on the wall next to the door, a couple buttons along the bottom. Lalna watched as Nyra pushed down on one of the buttons. He could wait, for the moment.

"Hello," Nyra called into the speaker.

"Nyra, is that you," the voice called again.

"Xephos," Nyra asked. She looked over at Lalna who was watching her carefully. Lalna rolled his shoulders, stretching slightly. He could feel the urge growing inside him but he willed himself to be patient. Soon, revenge would be his and he would sate this insufferable thirst.

"Yeah, are you all right," Xephos asked, his voice crackling through the speaker. "Is there anyone else in there with you?"

"Yeah, Lalna's here, too," Nyra said, looking over at him.

"Great, then I think between the two of you, you both may be able to figure out what is wrong."

"Uh. . . Yeah, let me check." Nyra moved quickly from the speaker to the access panel. She pulled it open quickly, reaching into the mixture of wires. Lalna started to pace back and forth like a lion that was watching his prey as it toyed with him. He was growing impatient. A sound of sparking wires filled the room as Nyra pulled some small piece out from amongst the wires, placing it in her pocket. She moved back towards the speaker. "I don't think we are going to be able to fix it. It is a real mess in there."

"Well, it might be a while before we can get you guys out of there. Sjin thinks he might be able to repel down to you and get you out that way, but besides that, we are still working on a plan. You just had to get stuck in between two unpopulated floors."

"Yeah, that sucks," Nyra said, laughing nervously. "Well, don't worry about us. Just get us out when you can."

"We will keep in touch. Stay safe, you two."

"Will do!" Nyra turned around to come face to face with Lalna. As she had been talking with Xephos, Lalna had snuck up behind her. He had been playing over and over in his head how delicious it would be to drain her of all her blood. He could imagine the warm drops of blood as they slid down his throat. Now, Lalna could. Lalna pushed Nyra up against the wall, pinning her there. He could feel her uncertainty and fear which only fueled Lalna's movements.

"Now, what was it that you were saying," Lalna asked, wanting her to confess to what she had done to him. Then, he would end her life.

"I know who you really are, Livid," she whispered. Lalna stepped back. Did she really just call him by his original name? How could she have known? The only people would have been Sjin and the endermage. Those were the only two who knew his secret.

"What did you say," Lalna asked, his voice wavering. He watched her, his eyes widening. He must have heard her wrong. Maybe she said it weird. He had to have heard it wrong.

"Livid," she whispered again. He laughed awkwardly.

"You have the wrong person. He died in an explosion. If I remember correctly, it was his nuclear reactor that destroyed him." He turned around quickly, facing the wall. The reflection that he saw in the brushed steel looking back at him caused him to jump. His eyes were almost completely black. He stared at himself. Was this how he truly looked? Was this who he was now? This was the monster he was. Did he really lose everything about himself? Lalna looked away from his reflection. "No, I'm Lalna," he whispered to himself. He could feel tears starting to gather at the edges of his eyes. He already lost a part of himself in that rubble to the north. Lalna didn't want to lose the rest.

"My class went to study the anomaly that surrounded your lab," Nyra continued. She spoke slowly as if trying to carefully pick her words. "The radiation never spread further than the circle of destruction it created and it was decaying rapidly. That was the reason why, for our final project, we were allowed to explore and test the area. Every one had their own hypothesis on how the natural composition of the dirt in the area helped to contain the radiation or that it was actually the plant life that had evolved radically to process the radiation into oxygen. While everyone was testing the earth and plants, I thought of actually rummaging through the wreckage trying to find some notes or really anything that could point me in the right direction. When I made it into the middle of the crater, I started to dig through the dirt. I found some glass and some bits of stone but nothing that I could use towards my discovery. I thought I was on a wild goose chase and I would never find anything. However, it was then that I found this." Lalna didn't wish to turn around. He didn't want to acknowledge the past. Lalna had done so well to cover his tracks. How did she of all people find him? Lalna turned slowly, coming face to face with Nyra. Nyra held her hand out, offering it to him. Lalna reluctantly reached out for what she held. A small glass bottle laid in his hand, a glowing purple dust sitting carefully inside of this. He laughed softly.

"This? This was the thing that makes you think that I am this Livid?" He shook the vial in front of her. "This is just some random purple dust."

"That's what I thought too, until I tested it. What I found was that this dust was absorbing the radiation that surrounded it. This dust that mixed both science and magic together." How was it that she knew all this from some dust, some small specks he never thought anyone would notice? Was it really this that led her to him, the little dust he made to help protect the neighboring cities and towns? Lalna flinched, remembering the pain as he had hastily produced it, his own skin burning from the radiation. The smell was what stuck with him the most. That horrid burning smell. His hands and lower arms were still scarred.

"No one believed my findings, assuming that I had found a new element that needed to be tested," Nyra continued, watching him. Lalna didn't meet her eyes. He felt more lost now than on that day, when he thought his whole world had ended. Now, he was losing his soul to his past and his future. "When I graduated, I knew I had to understand more. I traveled back to your lab and found only a small amount of the dust left, the rest, with a high probability, disappearing with the radiation. I started to dig wherever the dirt was soft enough, hoping to find more." She chuckled softly. "I honestly never thought I would find so many magical items in the wreckage of a lab. It was . . . refreshing." She smiled at him. "At the very last of my energy, I finally found what I was looking for and what I assumed you hoped no one would ever find again." Lalna watched out of the corner of his eye as Nyra reached into her pocket. He felt the tears running down his cheeks as he registered what she held in her hands. The black leather, all though dirty from years buried in the earth, still held together. He tentatively grabbed the book from Nyra's hands, grabbing it close to him. These were his notes of all his past experiments and findings from the mainland. This was him, at least, who he was on the other side of the sand. This was the man that wanted nothing more than to learn from his friends and to help them out in return. This was who he had been, the naive boy who cared too willingly and trusted too easily. The tears fell from his cheeks, decorating the front of the book. "This is what helped me find you, your last entry describing what happened and your voyage into the sand."

"This man is dead," Lalna choked out, his voice cracking. He threw the book on the ground. "THIS MAN IS DEAD! HE DIED ON THAT DAY. YOU CAME SEARCHING FOR THE WRONG PERSON."

"That's where you are wrong," Nyra said, looking at him. "That man isn't dead. You just don't want to acknowledge him."

"YOU'RE WRONG! HE IS GONE! YOU'LL NEVER FIND HIM!"

"If he is dead, then why are you here? Why do you continue to work for Yog Inc?" Lalna growled, pacing back and forth. His mind was panicking, confused by pain and anger. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He wanted to punch through one of the walls around him. He wanted to escape.

"I'M USING THEM FOR THEIR RESOURCES. THEY WERE WILLING TO PAY ME SO I TOOK THEIR MONEY."

"You've been working for them for years now. You got what you need. Why not just take it and go?"

"WHAT?!?!? AND LEAVE THEM TO GET HURT OR WORST?!? WHO IS THAT HEARTLESS?" He froze, realizing too late the words that were coming out of his mouth. Did he really just confess to her that he cared for these people?

"And why did you come to find me? You made it rather plain that you were uncertain of these arrangements." Lalna rubbed a hand through his hair. She had pinned him. He couldn't think of anything to say to her. All the reasons for chasing after her came rushing back. He wanted, no needed a friend like before. He wanted someone to work with him, to help. He wanted to teach someone about science and magic, how the two could work together. He wanted what he had back in the mainland. Nyra picked the book off of the floor, brandishing it at him.

"The man that I learned about from his notes, he is strong and wise, someone that I would be honored to learn from," Nyra said, her voice cracking. Lalna looked up to see that she was crying. "He is smart, quick and determined. This man would work tirelessly on his experiments and his friendships. He cared for his friends and wanted to teach them. That man is not dead, just a little lost." Nyra sighed. "I know my words may not be much, especially since we just met, but I hope you understand how much I look up to you. You asked me why I came here to the wildlands. Well, I came here to learn from the greatest scientific mind alive, that being you. I'm sorry that I made it difficult for you but I thought you should remember who you are. You are not some monster, Lalna. You are kind, caring, and very intelligent. Maybe a bit of a klutz too. You can't forget who you are, no matter what happens in your life. I just thought you should know that. . ."

Lalna stared at Nyra, dumbfounded. How was it that this person he just met could see so clearly through his facade? Was this really true? Was he running from himself? What was he kidding? Of course he was. A man doesn't just merely travel across the desert if he wasn't. How was it that he couldn't see it before? Or was he running from that as well? Lalna moved towards Nyra, catching her in an embrace. Tears ran down his face. He felt more human in this moment than he had in months.

"Thank you," Lalna whispered. He felt Nyra shift.

"Well, I just wanted to say that," Nyra answered him. The sound of crunching metal caused the two of them to jump, quickly separating. Upon inspection, they both found that the door had been pried open a bit near the top. After another loud noise, the hole had doubled in size.

"Hey, Nyra, Lalna, are you guys ok," a male voice called into the space.

"Yeah, we're fine," Nyra called, rushing towards the door. "You were pretty quick there, Xephos." Lalna laughed softly, causing Nyra to glance back at him. She smiled at him before continuing her conversation with the man on the other side of the door. Lalna then understood what he needed to do. He could find a way to live as a vampire without the need to feed from live beings. After all, he had experimented on many things and had discovered many truths of the world. This would be a piece of cake. If he could just find the right mixtures of amino acids and proteins, he may just be able to create a viable food source. There may also be a mixture that he could put on his skin to help protect him from the sunlight. Yeah, maybe he would try mixing magma cream with a ghast tear and a dash of some vis shards. It might work.... Man, he hadn't felt this driven in years.

"Lalna?" He looked up to see Nyra standing near the door. While he had been lost in his thoughts, Xephos had pried the door open enough for them to get out. "You ready to get out of this place?" As Lalna looked at Nyra, he made a promise to himself. Lalna promised he would never hurt her. He never wanted to lose her, this feeling of humanity that he seemed to enjoy when around her. Nyra was the breath of fresh air he needed. He promised that he would teach her everything he knew. She would be his true apprentice.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Lalna said, laughing. Besides, he had work to do.


End file.
